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Ode to selfishness ... or ... in defense of the wrongly accused
how often do you hear someone complaining that this person or that person
is a selfish bastard [or prick]
generally it is the accuser who is being
excessively selfish, not the accused
serving ones true self interest is among mans highest calling
in fact
were we are to serve our true self interests
the world would be a far better place
but the common man is unable
impulses, emotion, weakness
all direct action from it divine course
from realized self interest
you see we have but one call on this earth
[in my opinion obviously]
[if you have a different opinion]
[go fuck off and enjoy it]
the complete actualization of self
self-improvement is masturbation
masturbation is self-improvement
knowledge of the self is strength
control of the self is power
true self interest is positive influence
it is difficult to truly improve oneself
and truly improve ones condition in this world
without positively benefiting other around you
to clarify, if you are acting solely in your best interests
and considering your actions in their entirety
that you can ensure that your actions limited
to those which are in fact in your best interest
then you will enhance not hinder the civilization around you
many I am sure will think of hundred of examples
to contradict this statement
from greedy dictators to polluting corporations
I will refute all such examples with a single rebuttal
These are all examples of someone acting only
in a limited scope of self interest
the corporation which pollutes to save money
is focused only on a particular aspect of self interest
in this case boosting their earning report
if they were acting in true self interest
they would realize that polluting their own environment
poisoning the land and from the land their own children, families and employees
and if they were willing to see the true cost
the would be unwilling to act in those methods because it would be against their best interests
a person who profits through the victimizing of other people
also is unable to conceive their true best interests
"those who live by the sword, die by the sword"
their ability to satisfy their best interests
exist only as long as they are the biggest boy on the block
unfortunately in life, there is always someone better
so the despot is borrowing against his future best interest
to satisfy his perception of his immediate needs
such an arrangement can not ever be sustained
a well disciplined person
who strives to understand and ground his perceptions in reality
does no greater service to humanity
than to serve his best interests to the best of his abilities
unfortunately
as I discussed last night
well disciplined and grounded people
are the vast minority in this world
but we villainize self-interest
because we are too cowardly to admit
the problem lies within ourselves rather than selfishness
it is easier to claim the pursuit of ones self interest evil
than to admit humanity is weak and imperfect
to admit that you are unable to even exercise simple control over yourselves
for our society to survive
for our species to survive
we must learn to differentiate between our true self-interest and our immediate lusts
we all want to save the environment
but we also want our SUVs
a recent poll I saw said that something like 84% of Americans
felt that protecting the environment was a high priority
but when the poll went on to ask about specific actions
the numbers started dropping rapidly
we want to save the environment but only if it does not cost us anything
or affect the style and comfort of our lives
it comes down to priorities
how many of you define your priorities and stick to them
I know my priorities, I know exactly what I want
[except perhaps in romantic relationships]
[but my current struggle is to redefine that]
[it would be foolish to simply accept the easy answer]
[and so I expect it to take some time to resolve]
I always have known what I wanted and where I was going
I have always kept my eyes on the prize
and refused to be distracted by all that glitters
have I made mistakes?
absolutely and I can identify every one of them
and understand how the mistake was made
and more importantly how to avoid it in the future
until recently, I drove a 1987 Honda civic
not because I could not afford a nicer car
but because I was so focused on other [greater] priorities
that the idea of diverting resources to a nicer car was an anathema to me
so pick your goals, your priorities and charge after them
next we must discuss choices
the act of making a decision, a choice
is how we wield power in our lives
you see you can have anything you desire in this world
notice above that thing is singular
you have to focus your energies on one particular thing
that does not mean you can not shift your focus after achieving it
you must first make the choice of what you want
then you must decide how you plan to get it
if what you want is a new car
then you need plan how you will get the money
this requires an income of some sort and a plan to save
next it requires sacrifice
if you want that car, you have to sacrifice the sweater or the video game
that doesn't mean you cant have the sweater or the video game you want
just that you have to wait until you achieve your first goal
then you can reevaluate and decide if you want that sweater or not
besides with the glory of economics the longer you wait to purchase that sweater or video game
the less it will cost you, which frees up more resources for other items
impulses are the fatal flaw
to indulge is the highest of weakness
I allow myself my whims and impulses as many of you will have noticed
but that is not weakness as I have already passed through trial by fire
and what you do not see is the method in which my whims and impulses are indulged
What you do not see is that I have developed a framework which allows me to indulge myself
while not hindering my goals and diverting my focus
for my such indulgences are a reward to strict discipline and focus
this makes sense
like when you were a kid
you got desert after eating a nutritious meal
not before
the question I have for you and I do not require an answer
only for you to think about it yourselves
[although you may if you feel the need share it as well]
Are you trying to eat your desert without finishing your nutritious meal?
because what you are doing is ensuring your continued slavery
sure you will be comfortably enslaved amidst your pile of consumable goods
but a slave you will always be
and trust me over time
that desert will leave a bad taste in your mouth
you must nurture yourself and your interest before you go for the desert
to do that is the realization of your self interest
not the new video game or the new sweater
those are just distractions which weaken and enslave you
the choice is yours
Empowerment or Slavery
What do you want to be when your grow up?
is a selfish bastard [or prick]
generally it is the accuser who is being
excessively selfish, not the accused
serving ones true self interest is among mans highest calling
in fact
were we are to serve our true self interests
the world would be a far better place
but the common man is unable
impulses, emotion, weakness
all direct action from it divine course
from realized self interest
you see we have but one call on this earth
[in my opinion obviously]
[if you have a different opinion]
[go fuck off and enjoy it]
the complete actualization of self
self-improvement is masturbation
masturbation is self-improvement
knowledge of the self is strength
control of the self is power
true self interest is positive influence
it is difficult to truly improve oneself
and truly improve ones condition in this world
without positively benefiting other around you
to clarify, if you are acting solely in your best interests
and considering your actions in their entirety
that you can ensure that your actions limited
to those which are in fact in your best interest
then you will enhance not hinder the civilization around you
many I am sure will think of hundred of examples
to contradict this statement
from greedy dictators to polluting corporations
I will refute all such examples with a single rebuttal
These are all examples of someone acting only
in a limited scope of self interest
the corporation which pollutes to save money
is focused only on a particular aspect of self interest
in this case boosting their earning report
if they were acting in true self interest
they would realize that polluting their own environment
poisoning the land and from the land their own children, families and employees
and if they were willing to see the true cost
the would be unwilling to act in those methods because it would be against their best interests
a person who profits through the victimizing of other people
also is unable to conceive their true best interests
"those who live by the sword, die by the sword"
their ability to satisfy their best interests
exist only as long as they are the biggest boy on the block
unfortunately in life, there is always someone better
so the despot is borrowing against his future best interest
to satisfy his perception of his immediate needs
such an arrangement can not ever be sustained
a well disciplined person
who strives to understand and ground his perceptions in reality
does no greater service to humanity
than to serve his best interests to the best of his abilities
unfortunately
as I discussed last night
well disciplined and grounded people
are the vast minority in this world
but we villainize self-interest
because we are too cowardly to admit
the problem lies within ourselves rather than selfishness
it is easier to claim the pursuit of ones self interest evil
than to admit humanity is weak and imperfect
to admit that you are unable to even exercise simple control over yourselves
for our society to survive
for our species to survive
we must learn to differentiate between our true self-interest and our immediate lusts
we all want to save the environment
but we also want our SUVs
a recent poll I saw said that something like 84% of Americans
felt that protecting the environment was a high priority
but when the poll went on to ask about specific actions
the numbers started dropping rapidly
we want to save the environment but only if it does not cost us anything
or affect the style and comfort of our lives
it comes down to priorities
how many of you define your priorities and stick to them
I know my priorities, I know exactly what I want
[except perhaps in romantic relationships]
[but my current struggle is to redefine that]
[it would be foolish to simply accept the easy answer]
[and so I expect it to take some time to resolve]
I always have known what I wanted and where I was going
I have always kept my eyes on the prize
and refused to be distracted by all that glitters
have I made mistakes?
absolutely and I can identify every one of them
and understand how the mistake was made
and more importantly how to avoid it in the future
until recently, I drove a 1987 Honda civic
not because I could not afford a nicer car
but because I was so focused on other [greater] priorities
that the idea of diverting resources to a nicer car was an anathema to me
so pick your goals, your priorities and charge after them
next we must discuss choices
the act of making a decision, a choice
is how we wield power in our lives
you see you can have anything you desire in this world
notice above that thing is singular
you have to focus your energies on one particular thing
that does not mean you can not shift your focus after achieving it
you must first make the choice of what you want
then you must decide how you plan to get it
if what you want is a new car
then you need plan how you will get the money
this requires an income of some sort and a plan to save
next it requires sacrifice
if you want that car, you have to sacrifice the sweater or the video game
that doesn't mean you cant have the sweater or the video game you want
just that you have to wait until you achieve your first goal
then you can reevaluate and decide if you want that sweater or not
besides with the glory of economics the longer you wait to purchase that sweater or video game
the less it will cost you, which frees up more resources for other items
impulses are the fatal flaw
to indulge is the highest of weakness
I allow myself my whims and impulses as many of you will have noticed
but that is not weakness as I have already passed through trial by fire
and what you do not see is the method in which my whims and impulses are indulged
What you do not see is that I have developed a framework which allows me to indulge myself
while not hindering my goals and diverting my focus
for my such indulgences are a reward to strict discipline and focus
this makes sense
like when you were a kid
you got desert after eating a nutritious meal
not before
the question I have for you and I do not require an answer
only for you to think about it yourselves
[although you may if you feel the need share it as well]
Are you trying to eat your desert without finishing your nutritious meal?
because what you are doing is ensuring your continued slavery
sure you will be comfortably enslaved amidst your pile of consumable goods
but a slave you will always be
and trust me over time
that desert will leave a bad taste in your mouth
you must nurture yourself and your interest before you go for the desert
to do that is the realization of your self interest
not the new video game or the new sweater
those are just distractions which weaken and enslave you
the choice is yours
Empowerment or Slavery
What do you want to be when your grow up?
no subject
or directed in the defense of??
Heh. *wry*